Magazine of veterinary information, medicine and zootechnics, specialized in the poultry, pig, ruminant and aquaculture sectors

Antioxidants and productive competitiveness.

Apparently everyone should be classified as harmful free radicals, which are nevertheless generated as a result of physiological metabolism.

Plantas naturales - 20/11/2012

Apparently everyone should be classified as harmful free radicals, which are nevertheless generated as a result of physiological metabolism. What makes them is an uncontrolled increase pathogenic, ie an internal organic loss of balance or homeostasis. One system is faster immune affected. Pathological and ineffectiveness of vaccination plans are the main consequences.

The presence and activity of antioxidants counteracts the action of free radicals (as mentioned in previous blogs), helping to maintain or restore the balance that is synonymous with health. They protect the immune system, restoring the effectiveness of vaccinations and promote comprehensive organic operation.

In animal production applications are aimed primarily antioxidants to optimize yields, so that we obtain not only economic benefits, but also improvements in the quality of production (meat, eggs, milk, …) and in the consumer safety and can reduce the use of certain synthetic compounds (eg. antibiotics, …) being for specific therapeutic applications. In these extreme situations is where you can better appreciate the benefits of an adequate supply of antioxidants that help animals overcome oxidative stress.

Through nutrition find an economical, practical and effective antioxidants administer to animals. They have been used for this application various substances so far: Vitamin E, Selenium, Zinc, Copper, Chromium, carotenoids and vitamin C.

Vitamin E, for example, has proved its antioxidant effect in improving immunity and meat quality. This has been evaluated up an extra assumption needs to be considered. Some authors have presented other alternatives such as polyphenols.

Among the benefits to competitiveness or productive we get in Veterinary Medicine with the use of antioxidants is as follows:

Powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger, great cytoprotective effect, decreasing cellular aging. (This is important to note that the use of antioxidants to reduce cellular aging we will apply more in companion animals or pets)

Protective immune system. Promote Antistress effect.

Cardiovascular System Protective activity.

antiinflammatory activity.

anticancer activity in addition to their antimutagenic effects in both animals and humans, improve the antitumor effects of other compounds.

Effect on lipid peroxidation, inhibiting the enzymes responsible for the same.

Antiviral Activity, affect the infectivity and replication of adenovirus, coronavirus and rotavirus in cell cultures. Have also been used for treating influenza virus infections in mice. The Department of Agriculture of the United States tested the effectiveness of grapefruit extract, rich in bioflavonoids, against viral infections such as FMD, African swine fever, swine vesicular disease and avian influenza.

In conclusion we can say that antioxidants applications in the field of animal nutrition has become clear in recent years by the various works carried out at universities and direct work on farms. Its optimum activity is shown when they are incorporated in an organic nature, ie in the form of plant extract.